Can you rescue an animal in need?

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In summary, Turbo the dog was not the easiest addition to our home, but much easier than Duke. Duke had been abandoned and imprisoned in a shelter for about 5 months. Lola has been with us for a few short days, and Duke has "adopted" her, teaching her useful stuff. Turbo the dog was not the easiest addition to our home, but much easier than Duke. Duke had been abandoned and imprisoned in a shelter for about 5 months. Lola has been with us for a few short days, and Duke has "adopted" her, teaching her useful stuff. Turbo is a mix of English bulldog and boxer and is tougher than a bag of hammers. Duke and Lola are now getting along well
  • #1
turbo
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Lola was not the easiest addition to our home, but much easier than Duke. Duke had been abandoned and imprisoned in a shelter for about 5 months. He was clingy and emotional when my wife or I left, even for a short time. Lola has been with us for a few short days, and Duke has "adopted" her, teaching her useful stuff. She used to shadow me relentlessly, but now she has transferred much of that attention to Duke.

If you have the space, resources, and patience to help an abandoned animal, (s)he will reward you with love and attention. Spay/neuter your pets and give them a loving home, and please rescue an animal instead of buying one at a pet store. Puppy mills are an abomination, so please help to wipe them out. Thanks.
 
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  • #2
It has been a few days, and Lola is here to stay. Duke was always a momma's boy and it seems like Lola might be a daddy's girl. What a sweetie.

If you would like to have a pet, please network with friends to see if there is an animal who needs to be given a good home or go to your local animal shelter and adopt a stray. Remember that elderly or ill animals are barely adoptable at best, and you can help.
 
  • #3
That's great, Turbo!

You aren't allergic to the new pet?
 
  • #4
Lola had to have a few baths to cut down the fragrances from previous baths/shampoos, but she didn't mind. This morning, my wife jumped into the shower before heading out to do some chores, and Lola hopped in too.

P1000812_zpsfdcd5f93.jpg
 
  • #6
jedishrfu said:
Nice pic for a nice dog.
Thank you. She is not a big dog (mix of English bulldog and boxer), but she is tougher than a bag of hammers. I'll have to train her how to walk properly (heel), because she is so strong that walking her on a leash is a challenge. My right hand is still sprained and it is hard to keep her under control.
 
  • #7
I've found a plastic prong collar works well to keep my dog from pulling too hard on the leash. I often have to remind her with a little jerk but once she's reminded she behaves pretty well.
 
  • #8
A harness may also work. We have a Rottweiler that pulls a lot even with a prong collar, but once we started using the harness he pulls a lot less. The harness goes around his chest and forelegs and perhaps the secure ness of it that keeps him calm and reminds him of the owners presence.
 
  • #9
My rescue dogs.

The first is ChaCha, a senior, specials needs chihuahua that was abandoned. The second is a crazed partying Chin pup.
 

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  • #10
Good ol' ChaCha
 
  • #11
Her wedding gown
 

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  • #12
Poor Chacha!
 
  • #13
turbo said:
Poor Chacha!
She was a glowing bride-to-be. Alas, micro left her standing at the altar. She still softly croons his name as she lays in her bed, languishing. miiicro, miiiicrooo.
 
  • #14
Evo said:
Her wedding gown
But evo...this is so sudden. And I already have a family.
 
  • #15
Evo said:
She was a glowing bride-to-be. Alas, micro left her standing at the altar. She still softly croons his name as she lays in her bed, languishing. miiicro, miiiicrooo.

Aha, that explains Micro's absence from our forums and checking into the forum from seedy Motel 6's from time to time.

He's a groom on the run from ChaCha.
 
  • #16
WannabeNewton said:
But evo...this is so sudden. And I already have a family.
Man up! Marry that girl!

jedishrfu said:
Aha, that explains Micro's absence from our forums and checking into the forum from seedy Motel 6's from time to time.

He's a groom on the run from ChaCha.
Scandalous.
 
  • #17
To get back on-topic: if any PF members want a pet, please, please adopt.

Shelters are full of nice animals, even if some of them need TLC to get back to "normal". Duke was a hard case, since he had been abandoned (and we never had a clue when) and the animal control officer called him a pit bull, which is practically a death penalty for shelter dogs. He had spent about 5 months in the shelter before my wife and I adopted him, and though he fit right in here, he was pretty traumatized by his months in solitary. He is now helping to train and socialize Lola, and will even give up one of his comfy beds if she wants it.

Please adopt a pet instead of buying one. You'll be doing all of us a favor. Let's cut off the puppy-mill/pet store links ASAP. Thank you.
 
  • #18
turbo said:
... she is tougher than a bag of hammers.
Yea. You can see that from the picture. Tight skin holding those muscles in.
 
  • #19
Lola loves taking baths! If you want to take a shower alone, you have to latch the bathroom door because she will hop right into the tub enclosure with you.

Earlier today, a neighbor brought down her chocolate Lab "Moose". He and Lola wrestled, with lots of play-biting. She is about half his size, but she generally got the upper hand and eventually wore him out. When he grows up, he will remember his Sensei.
 
  • #20
turbo said:
Lola loves taking baths! If you want to take a shower alone, you have to latch the bathroom door because she will hop right into the tub enclosure with you.
She a "water lover". Sounds like the Black Lab I had. It was almost impossible to fish; especially after he had a couple beers.
 
  • #21
We had rain today. I let her out to do her "business" and she did NOT want to come back into the house. I had a towel ready for her when she decided to come in. When the lake-water warms up, we'll take the dogs to my wife's mother's camp to swim. Hopefully, she can get Duke interested. He is a Lab with big webbed feet, and he will wade, but not swim.
 
  • #22
Lola had her first vet's visit today, and got her shots. The vet, his assistant, and the receptionist all loved her. We found out that Lola (who appears about 1/2 the size of Duke) weighs 48# to Duke's 52#. She is all muscle and bone. Still no problems with her - she is a handful at times, but waggy and wriggly as can be.

My brother dropped in with his daughter before the vet-visit, and though my 4YO niece wanted to keep Lola on the ground (no jumping!), she eventually got down with her, hugging her and getting kisses. She didn't want to get in the truck to leave, either. Lola breaks another heart.

Please rescue an animal, if your can. Make sure the animal is neutered, so we don't get extra critters to deal with. Given shelter and plenty of food, animals can breed prolifically, so pets need to be neutered.

Each adoption needs to be evaluated individually. The guy that owned Lola appears to be a creep, and I fear that he wanted to breed her to make "fighting dogs". That's OK, since she is so calm and loving. Still, the fact that he wanted to dump her after she had a problematic pregnancy and had to be spayed is warning sign about his character. Her former vet claimed that when she was brought in, she was "badly infested" with fleas.
 
  • #23
She looks really sweet, Turbo.
 
  • #24
fuzzyfelt said:
She looks really sweet, Turbo.
She is really sweet. At first, she would always shy away from my hand when I wanted to scratch her head and rub her ears. That is a sure sign that she had been abused. Now, she just leans in for the attention.

Please rescue a dog - never consider buying one.
 
  • #25
Bump.

If you would like a dog (or another one), please never buy one. There are lots of dogs in shelters that need good homes.

For some reason, my wife and I gravitated to dogs that had been abused. It took a long while to get Duke comfortable here, though he is self-confident and loving now. Lola is coming along pretty nicely. Her main point of friction is with Duke. She wants to sleep with him, and he doesn't want to share his bed. He doesn't "argue" with her - he simply gets up and finds another place to sleep alone.

Please rescue a dog. Even the ones that have been abused/abandoned can make great pets. You have to be patient with abused dogs, but they turn into the most loving pets ever. Give them a stable loving home and that turns them right around. It might take time, but it works.
 
  • #26
I've had rescue dogs and I've bought dogs. There is nothing wrong with buying dogs. If we didn't support responsible breeders then all there would be are generic dogs and there wouldn't be breeds at all. By taking in rescues you are implicitly supporting irresponsible breeders. Also, I loved them all, but my bought dogs were far and away better than any of the many rescue dogs I have had and lived with.

Please lay of the guilt trip. We are all happy that you decided to rescue a dog. There is no reason for you to guilt others who don't make the same decision as you.
 
  • #27
ModusPwnd said:
Please lay of the guilt trip. We are all happy that you decided to rescue a dog. There is no reason for you to guilt others who don't make the same decision as you.
No guilt trip implied or intended. There are so many sweet dogs in shelters, and they all need loving homes. Why buy from a pet shop or a breeder when there are dogs in shelters on "death row"?

My cousin and his wife have a white Westie - a cute and obedient dog, but nowhere near as nice and loving as our two rescues. Many years ago, my cousin's father and his partner rescued two dogs from a remote logging camp. The dogs had been beaten and ill-treated and poorly fed. He gave the cutie to my (unwilling) mother for her birthday, and she was the best dog ever. Top-to-bottom, her colors were symmetrical black, brown and white. My uncle's partner kept Freckles (white with dark spots) and she turned out to be a wonderful dog, too. Long-lived, loving, and protective of family.

Who needs pure-breds anyway? If you're aspiring to a shot at Westminster, you're going to have to hire trainers, groomers, etc to even get a chance, after you have paid a lot of money to support the puppy-mills. I'd much rather rescue a mixed-breed and save a life.

BTW, Lola is 50/50 English bulldog and boxer. It is almost certain that her owner wanted to breed her to make fighting dogs (a big business in Maine) and got rid of her when she had to be spayed after a problematic pregnancy. She doesn't have papers, but she is as close to a high-bred dog as you might want. My family and neighbors love her, but they don't give Duke short shrift. He loves everybody. My wife's friend lured her to the shelter to try to get her to rescue a dog. Duke seemed a bit big for this place, but he had been in the shelter for ~5 months and was next in line to get transferred from the ASPCA shelter to a "kill shelter". It was a no-brainer.

Please rescue a dog instead of buying one.
 
  • #28
I violated the first Lola-dog rule this morning, and attempted to take a shower alone. Latch the bathroom door, or you will have an energetic, muscular dog in the shower with you. Good luck getting her out of there. If you already wet and soapy, you are at a bit of a disadvantage. She will fight to stay in the shower - nothing violent but evasion and squirming works pretty well. I wish we could transfer maybe half of her love for water to Duke. We have to physically lift him into the tub to wash him, and he doesn't like it one bit.

At least the house has been relatively free of pests. Lola hunts down ants and spiders and eats them. "First Contact" is visual, then she smacks them down with her right front foot and eats them. Pretty efficient.
 
  • #29
I rescued an animal in need a little over a year ago. Since then I have seen this sweet little puppy:

2zf1h52.jpg


Turn into a tree climbing lizard chasing grrr-animal. There is never a dull moment when Daisy and I are outside.
34hi6fo.jpg
 
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  • #30
Very lovely dog, Edward! And thank you for taking in a rescue. She looks quite happy and content.
 
  • #31
She's a good-looking dog, turbo! It's nice that she and Duke are getting along as well.

We love animals and would probably consider adopting one, but my wife is allergic to both cats and dogs. Even the "hypoallergenic" breeds. :frown:
 
  • #32
Just an update. Rescue dogs can throw you curves. A few days ago, I was looking for Lola and walked back to the bedroom thinking that she might have grabbed the warm spot on the bed when I got up.

Nope. She was standing in the business end of our tub waiting for somebody to turn on the water. Later that afternoon, and the next day and the next, she found a mud-hole and came back home with muddy legs and belly, so she got her nice warm bath. I have never seen a dog that is so intent on getting a bath.
 
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  • #33
My wife and I will be looking into adopting a retired greyhound and a mutt from the local humane society. Couldn't ever think of going anywhere else.
 
  • #34
Greg Bernhardt said:
My wife and I will be looking into adopting a retired greyhound and a mutt from the local humane society. Couldn't ever think of going anywhere else.
Thank you! All dogs need loving homes. Greyhounds are dumped here in Maine at an alarming rate, and this time of year (kids going to college, people changing apartments) the shelters have lots of dogs.

Thank you for adopting!
 
  • #35
Here is my rescue! We have had her nearly a year, and are still dealing with trust issues. No one is home often enough to really work with her well, but she is a very good girl and fairly well adjusted. She just has some trust issues with men, and prefers to sit by herself instead of in your lap. But we are happy with her.

We were told she is about 3 when we got her, which was a couple of days before Halloween. Since she is black, I have decided Halloween will become her birthday. So Oct 31 she will be 4.

407661824.jpg
 
<h2>1. Can I rescue any animal I find in need?</h2><p>No, not all animals can be rescued. Some animals, like wild animals, may be best left alone and not disturbed. It's important to assess the situation and determine if it's safe and appropriate to attempt a rescue.</p><h2>2. What should I do if I find an injured animal?</h2><p>If you find an injured animal, it's important to contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center or animal rescue organization. They have the expertise and resources to properly care for the animal and give it the best chance of survival.</p><h2>3. Is it legal to rescue an animal in need?</h2><p>In most cases, it is legal to rescue an animal in need. However, it's important to check with local authorities and follow any laws or regulations regarding rescuing and caring for wildlife or domestic animals.</p><h2>4. How can I safely rescue an animal in need?</h2><p>The safest way to rescue an animal in need is to contact a professional. They have the proper training and equipment to handle the situation safely. If you do attempt a rescue, make sure to protect yourself and the animal from harm.</p><h2>5. What should I do if I can't rescue the animal myself?</h2><p>If you are unable to rescue the animal yourself, you can still help by contacting a local animal rescue organization or wildlife rehabilitation center. They can send trained professionals to safely rescue the animal and provide proper care.</p>

1. Can I rescue any animal I find in need?

No, not all animals can be rescued. Some animals, like wild animals, may be best left alone and not disturbed. It's important to assess the situation and determine if it's safe and appropriate to attempt a rescue.

2. What should I do if I find an injured animal?

If you find an injured animal, it's important to contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center or animal rescue organization. They have the expertise and resources to properly care for the animal and give it the best chance of survival.

3. Is it legal to rescue an animal in need?

In most cases, it is legal to rescue an animal in need. However, it's important to check with local authorities and follow any laws or regulations regarding rescuing and caring for wildlife or domestic animals.

4. How can I safely rescue an animal in need?

The safest way to rescue an animal in need is to contact a professional. They have the proper training and equipment to handle the situation safely. If you do attempt a rescue, make sure to protect yourself and the animal from harm.

5. What should I do if I can't rescue the animal myself?

If you are unable to rescue the animal yourself, you can still help by contacting a local animal rescue organization or wildlife rehabilitation center. They can send trained professionals to safely rescue the animal and provide proper care.

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